Mine trap-door.



No. 763,703. PATENTED JUNE 28, 1904. J. WAGK.

MINE TRAP DOOR.

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WITNESSES! I INVENTOR 'WA J/W T fld 7 Z khan! ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Patented June 28, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN VVAOK, OF CANTON, OHIO.

MINE TRAP-DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,703, dated June 28, 1904.

Application filed December 3,1903. Serial No. 188,558. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WAcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mine Trap-Doors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the operating parts, showing an edge view of the door-frame. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the position of the parts when the door is elevated or opened. Fig. 3 is a View showing a portion of the door-frame, also a portion of one of the posts and top cap.

The present invention has relation to mine trap-doors; and it consists in the novel construction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings the rocking frame consists of the rock-posts 1, which are hinged at their bottom or lower ends, and to the top or upper ends of which are pivotally connected the door-operating rods 2, which door-operating rods are hinged to the bottom of the lower section of the door-frame.

To the door-posts 4 are ,pivotally attached the bars 5, and to the outer ends of the bars 5 are pivotally attached the connecting-bars 6 and the counterbalance-bars 8, which counterbalance-bars are provided with, the counterbalances 9. The counterbalance-bars are also connected to the door-operating rods 2, and for the purpose of properly bracing the counterbalance-bars 8 the connecting-bars 10 are provided, which are arranged substantially as illustrated in the drawings.

For the purpose of operating the rock-posts 1 the lever 11 is provided, to which lever is pivotally attached at its top or upper end the connecting-bar 12, and to the bottom or lower end of the lever 11 is connected one end of the link or connecting bar 13, the opposite end of said link or bar being attached to the rockpost 1, and to the rock-post 1 is attached the connecting-rod 14. The connecting or operating rods 12 and 14 are preferably formed in sections and the sections connected together by turnbuckles 15, which turnbuckles are for the purpose of adjusting the lengths of the connecting or operating rods 12 and 14 and at the same time providing means for connecting the arms 16 by means of the pins 17. The arms 16 are pivoted at their bottom or lower ends tosuitable shafts 18, which shafts are properly journaled, or, if desired, the arms may be journaled upon afixed shaft. It will be understood that the outer ends of the connecting or operating rods 12 and 1 1 maybe connected directly to the outer arms 16, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the path of the car-wheels are located the depressible bars 19, which depressible bars are provided with the downward-extending arms 20, to which arms are connected the levers 21, and said levers connected to the shafts 18. When a car passes over the depressible bars they will be forced down, thereby rocking the arms 16 and the posts 1 by means of" the lever 22 and arm 23. It will be understood that as the bars 19 are depressed the rocking post 1 will be moved at its upper end away from the door-posts 4,.thereby lifting the bottom or lower ends of the door-operating rods 2 by means of the intermediate connecting links and bars. For the purpose of automatically elevating the bars 19 when freed, counterbalances 24: are provided and are preferably formed integral with the arms 16.v

To the top or upper ends of the door-posts 4 is connected a cross-bar 25 or its equivalent, which cross-bar is arranged so that it will not interfere with the passage of cars or other objects designed to pass through the door when open.

The'door-frame proper is composed of two sections, an upper section 26 and a lower section 27, the top of the upper section being hinged to the cross-bar 25 or its equivalent by means of suitable hinges 28, and the lower section 27 is hinged to the bottom or lower end of the upper section 26, or, in other words, the door proper is hinged so that the upper and lower sections may be turned with reference to each other in a horizontal line. It will be understood that as the bars 19 are depressed the door-operating bars will be elevated or,

in other words, lifted, so that they will assume a horizontal position, or nearly so, and in their movement the lower section of the door will be lifted upward at its bottom or lower end, which in turn lifts the top or upper section 26 until it assumes substantially a horizontal position, and the lower section is brought under the upper section, as illustrated in Fig. 2, by which arrangement the door proper is opened for the passage of cars or other objects. For the purpose of preventingthe door proper from becoming looked as it were against relative movement of the two sections the posts I are provided with the inclined surfaces 30, which inclined surfaces hold the door-sections at an angle to each other, so that the door-sections are free to be brought into the position illustrated in Fig. 2 at all times.

It will be understood that if the door-sections were located in true alinement with each other or if in a true horizontal plane the operating-arn1s 2 would have a tendency to lift the door-sections bodily upward, and thereby prevent proper action or movement of the door-sections with reference to each other; but by normally locating the door-sections at an angle to each other when the door is closed this danger is overcome.

It is well understood that in mines, especially where air is forced into the workingparts of the mines, some pressure is brought against the 'door, which to a certain extent interferes with the opening of the door; but by my peculiar arrangement the moment the door is started to be opened the air will rush under the lower section, which has a tendency to lift or elevate the lower section, thereby aiding the opening of the door instead of retarding its opening.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mine trap-door, a door-frame consisting of two sections hinged together, the upper section hinged at its upper edge and the lower section hinged to the bottom of the upper section, door-posts having oppositelyinclined faces upon their door sides, and mechanism adapted to open and close the door, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A mine trap-door consisting of two sections, one located above the other and the sections yieldingly connected together, and the sections located in the path of a car, and a track located below the sections, and means for opening the door, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a mine trap-door, a fixed frame adapted to hold the door, a door-frame formed in sections and the sections hinged together at their top and bottom portions respectively,and means adapted to operate the lower hinged section of the door, and the upper section moved by the movement of the lower section, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ACK.

Witnesses:

F. WV. BOND, NILEs A. SroNsELLER. 

